97 people sick after suspected salted egg cake poisoning in southern Vietnam

According to an An Giang Department of Health report released on Friday, the incident involved cakes supplied by ‘Cupcake’ bakery on 3/2 Street in Rach Gia Ward.

The cakes were distributed by a local bank on International Women’s Day, March 8, as gifts to clients and partners.

Out of 98 people who consumed the cakes, 97 developed symptoms including stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Forty-three required hospitalization, though no fatalities were reported.

All patients showed similar mild to moderate symptoms and were discharged by Friday morning.

The first case was admitted at 5:00 pm last Friday, while the last case developed symptoms at midnight last Sunday.

Testing of patient stool samples at Kien Giang General Hospital detected Salmonella species.

Authorities identified the cakes as the suspected source of poisoning.

Last Saturday, local officials inspected the Cupcake bakery and found three violations, including the lack of protective gear for food handlers, uncovered waste containers, and poor hygiene in the business area.

The bakery was ordered to suspend operations and fined VND10 million (US$380).

However, inspectors were unable to collect cake samples for laboratory testing, leaving the investigation incomplete.

Officials are continuing to examine the case and enforce food safety regulations.

In a separate incident, 13 middle school students in Tra My Commune, Da Nang City, central Vietnam were hospitalized on Thursday morning with symptoms of suspected food poisoning after drinking bubble tea purchased from a local shop.

The North Tra My Regional Medical Center reported that at 10:35 am on Thursday, its emergency and intensive care unit received 13 students from Nguyen Van Troi Middle School.

The children showed signs of fatigue, stomach pain, nausea, headaches, and vomiting.

Initial investigations revealed that the students had consumed bubble tea at a local shop in Tra My at around 4:30 pm on Wednesday.

By Thursday morning, they began experiencing symptoms and were taken to the medical center.

Doctors confirmed the students were conscious and stable by late Thursday, and most were discharged home.

The school later reported that all affected students returned to class on Friday.

Health officials collected leftover bubble tea samples provided by parents and fresh samples from the shop for laboratory testing.

Epidemiological investigations are underway to determine the exact cause.

Authorities have instructed parents to continue monitoring their children’s health and report any new cases.

The incident has prompted calls for stricter food safety inspections of beverage shops in the area.

The medical center recommended that relevant agencies strengthen oversight of beverage vendors to ensure compliance with hygiene standards.